Jazz With Marty Friedman

The Sunday Jazz Brunch Presents Musician's Corner: Tony Monaco Air Date: 4/21/2024 on 90.5 WICN 8am-12pm ET LISTEN TO THE SEGMENT HERE If I were to comment about something you did by saying that you are 'pulling out all the stops,' you would certainly know what I mean.  However, if I were to say that about Tony Monaco, it might just mean that he's got his Hammond B3 organ set up just the way he wants, to get just the right sound at just the right time. Except, on the Hammond B3, the stops are called drawbars . This is not a classic jazz instrument. Originally intended to replace large, unwieldy church organs with a cheaper and more portable alternative, the Hammond B3 was first used in gospel, soul, and R&B. Then, along came a man who would become Tony Monaco's mentor: Jimmy Smith. Jimmy Smith is generally considered to be the man who brought the B3 a place of respect in the jazz world, treating the instrument as a regular part of a jazz combo rather than as a...

The Sunday Jazz Brunch Presents New Female Vocal Jazz Air Date: 4/14/2024 on 90.5 WICN 8am-12pm ET As I mentioned earlier, we are in a wave. Last week I talked about some of the instrumental releases that have come in. Now I would like to mention a few of the vocal releases we have received. Interestingly, they are all female vocalists. Cyrille Aimée In previous releases, French-born vocalist Cyrille Aimée has covered songs written by popular composers. Photo by Drew Boudreaux In this new CD, however, we have all originals. Here she sings her own lyrics, with her own melodies and arrangements. She is accompanied by New York composer and multi-instrumentalist Jake Sherman. "I’ve been writing forever, but this album is my real birth as a songwriter. Six years ago, I found out I was pregnant as I traveled to Costa Rica. I spent a week there, surrounded by the teeming life of the jungle, knowing I had to have an abortion when I returned home." She continues: "I wrote the son...

The Sunday Jazz Brunch Presents New Instrumentals Air Date: 4/7/2024 on 90.5 WICN 8am-12pm ET I've always said that good jazz comes in waves. Well, we are in a wave right now. We are getting in some really great releases. It was a bit slow at the beginning of the year but it has really picked up.  I'd like to talk about some of the fine instrumental CDs that have been released. There are also a ton of new vocal albums, all female vocalists for some reason. I'm planning to highlight the vocalists next week. Charles Lloyd What an interesting musician with such a unique sound on the tenor saxophone.  His latest CD is The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow, released on his 86th birthday, March 15. Some have said that this  ensemble is the most impressive yet in a long list of collaborators, with Jason Moran, Larry Grenadier, and Brian Blade (cool name!) on the new CD. I am finding this hard to believe, but I read somewhere that this is the first time the three have played toget...

The Sunday Jazz Brunch Presents The Latest Air Date: 3/31/2024 on 90.5 WICN 8am-12pm ET Here's a little window into what's going on, in terms of new jazz. Lori Bell Lori Bell Her new CD is quintessential Lori Bell, mellifluous flute playing unlike anyone else I have heard, except maybe Eric Dolphy. It reminds me of her third release, Lori Bell Quartet (2002), the first CD we got in from Ms. Bell here at WICN.  Her new CD is a tribute to the great tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson. She plays a number of his tunes, but check out her original tune Outer Urge in the second hour.  That opens up a set that includes saxophonist Willie Morris playing Kenny Dorham's La Mesha , a beautiful ballad that appears on Joe Henderson's debut release, Page One .  And the set concludes with a track from Joe Henderson himself.   Willie Morris Saint-Louis-based tenor saxophonist Willie Morris has released his second album, called Attentive Listening. It's good. As mentioned, he has a fin...

The Sunday Jazz Brunch Presents Sunday's Playlist Air Date: 3/24/2024 on 90.5 WICN 8am-12pm ET HOUR ONE: Contemplative Morning Roy Hargrove Quintet-With the Tenors of Our Time-09 Across the Pond 1994 Robert Glasper-Canvas-09 North Portland (2005) Robin McKelle\Impressions of Ella 2023\Soon Samara Joy-Samara Joy 2021-07 It;s Eas to See Roditi Ignatzek Rassinfosse-Light In The Dark-10 Placid Moon 2005 Shirley Horn-Here's To Life-03 How Am I To Know 1992 Something Blue-Maximum Enjoyment-03 Stunts And Twists 2019 Stan Hope-Pastels 1999-07 Pastels Willie Morris\Attentive Listening 2024\La Mesha Lauren White\Making it Up as We Go Along 2024\I'm Glad There is You Jun Iida\Evergreen 2024\Love Theme From Spartacus Stella Bass\Look for the Silver Lining 2024\Being Alive HOUR TWO: New For You Jocelyn Gould-Sonic Bouquet 2023-03 My Foolish Heart Blue Moods\Swing & Soul 2024\Each Time I Think of You Remy Le Boeuf with the Assembly of Shadows - Heartland Radio 2024\\Heartland Radio  ...

The Sunday Jazz Brunch Presents The Pulsing Heart of Jazz Air Date: 3/17/2024 on 90.5 WICN 8am-12pm ET Right here in Worcester Massachusetts you will find the pulsing heart of jazz. Like your own heartbeat, it is always there, playing, waiting for you to turn on that radio or connect on the internet so you can hear glorious sounds.  Now is our Spring Into WICN fund drive, and we are hoping that you will call during your favorite show and donate to Worcester's only NPR radio station.  We know there are other NPR stations in the state and elsewhere that you can listen to. Oh wait a moment, none of them play any significant amount of jazz. Or blues, folk, Latin, world, Brazilian, new age, or soul.  WICN is an oasis in a desert of these musical genres. Join me Sunday morning for four hours of great jazz, and a little fundraising mixed in, but the music plays on.  You can subscribe and/or donate here: WICN DONATION PAGE. Do it Sunday morning during the show -...

The Sunday Jazz Brunch Presents Musician's Corner: Stella Bass Air Date: 3/10/2024 on 90.5 WICN 8am-12pm ET LISTEN TO THE SEGMENT HERE My guest on the next edition of Musician's Corner on the Sunday Jazz Brunch will be vocalist Stella Bass, all the way from Dublin, Ireland. She's with us to talk about her new album, Look for the Silver Lining. The new album is only her second. Her first CD, Too Darn Hot , was released in 2014.  Just an aside: on that debut album Ms. Bass sang the Amy Winehouse original, Back to Black, and Amy Winehouse's mom contacted her to say what a great version of the song it is. We'll hear that track later in the set. The new album is a collaboration with the Johnny Taylor Trio, and it features a mix of jazz standards and some new songs written by Ms Bass.  Mr. Taylor plays piano and does all the arranging, mostly for trio, but sometimes with a guest artist.   Tune in at 9:30 am ET  to hear this edition of Musician's Corner. If you liste...

The Sunday Jazz Brunch Presents Musician's Corner: Julie Kelly Air Date: 3/3/2024 on 90.5 WICN 8am-12pm ET Julie Kelly CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE SEGMENT Next up in the Musician's Corner series, is LA-based vocalist Julie Kelly. Born in Oakland, California, she performed with her twin sister a local coffeehouses way back in 1970, thus starting her on the road to becoming a jazz vocalist. The duo opened once for Peter, Paul, and Mary during that time. In 1971 she spent time in Rio De Janiero in Brazil, where she performed with Carlos Lyra and Luis Eca, absorbing the fertile Brazilian jazz scene.  Later in the decade she spent time in New York and then San Francisco, continuing to perform and honing her craft.  Finally she moved to LA and has resided there since 1980.  She has performed and worked with such artists as Benny Green, Nat Adderley, Ray Brown, John Clayton, and Alan Broadbent. Her new CD is entitled Freedom Jazz Dance . Included on the album are tunes by Gregor...

The Sunday Jazz Brunch Presents The Guitarists Air Date: 2/25/2024 on 90.5 WICN 8am-12pm ET Pop. Rock. Folk. Blues. Country. Classical.  And, of course, Jazz. The guitar is a prominent instrument in every western musical genre. It is amazingly versatile. Much like the piano, it can be used for both melody and harmony - in some cases, simultaneously! Well that does it for my grand generalizations. Let's talk about The Jazz Guitarists! The Jazz Guitarists Look at that playlist! Tell me there aren't at least a few of your favorites in there.  Yes, I know there are some omissions, and if one of them is a favorite of yours, well, you'll notice it right away. The thing is, even with four hours to play with, there isn't enough time to cover everyone. We go for breadth, as much as fits in four hours. You'll notice a few other artists in the mix on occasion - mostly vocalists, always new music. Let's talk about a few of the guitarists you'll hear. Kenny Burrell, for ...

The Sunday Jazz Brunch Presents Musician's Corner: Mark Winkler Air Date: 2/18/2024 on 90.5 WICN 8am-12pm ET LISTEN TO THE SEGMENT HERE On the next edition of the Sunday Jazz Brunch, my musical guest is vocalist and lyricist Mark Winkler. Born and raised in the L.A. area,  he is known on the west coast for his work as a live performer. In this interview, of course, we'll be talking about Mark's recorded work, specifically his new CD The Rules Don't Apply. Mark Winkler While we know him as a vocalist, he is also an accomplished lyricist. He has written lyrics for tunes by such composers as Wayne Shorter, Dexter Gordon, Joshua Redman and David Benoit.  For the new project, Mark wrote lyrics for eight of the original songs on the album. He also included five of his favorite tunes written by Paul Simon, Lennon and McCartney, Eddie Arkin and Lorraine Feather, Donald Fagen, and Randy Newman. It is said that Mark comes from the tradition of Bobby Troup, but he has been compa...

The Sunday Jazz Brunch Presents Musician's Corner: Gabriel Espinosa Air Date: 2/11/2024 on 90.5 WICN 8am-12pm ET LISTEN TO THE SEGMENT HERE My guest on the next edition of Musician's Corner is bassist, arranger, composer, and teacher Gabriel Espinosa, born in the city of Mérida, which is the capital of the Mexican state of Yucatán.  In 1983, he graduated from Boston's Berklee College of Music with a degree in arranging, and from there started a group called Ashanti, which performed in the Boston area.  In 1992 while studying in Texas, Mr. Espinosa produced several albums for Mexican artists, including the famous Armando Manzanero, composer of Somos Novios , also known from Perry Como's English version called It's Impossible . Since 1996 Mr. Espinosa has directed the Jazz Studies program at Central College in Pella, Iowa, where he does all his composing and arranging, including for his latest CD, Bossas and Boleros .  This release features a list of very talented gue...

The Sunday Jazz Brunch Presents Don't Miss These Delicious Tracks Air Date: 2/4/2024 streaming at 90.5 WICN 8am-12pm ET Look at all the songs released in 2024 in the playlist below for Sunday!  I'm particularly enjoying vocalists Stella Bass and Judy Whitmore. Both releases have superb accompaniment and really good sound engineering to match the excellent vocals.  Jun Iida is an interesting trumpeter hailing from the west coast.  I always like getting Danilo Perez with Claus Ogerman on the air; their CD Across The Crystal Sea is just gorgeous! Not new, but more than worthy. Dan Dean's Vocalise is unique, interesting, and a joy to experience. You'll hear a song with Gregory Porter during the second hour. You may not have heard it because it is on Wayne Escoffery's new album. How about some Bill Evans with Jim Hall? Also I have a very good youth orchestra, the JM Jazz World Orchestra. The kids these days seem to know their stuff, jazzwise that is. The new Incognito r...